[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 17, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PERMITTING STATES TO TRANSFER CERTAIN FUNDS FROM CLEAN WATER REVOLVING 
                 FUND TO DRINKING WATER REVOLVING FUND

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the bill (S. 1689) to permit States to transfer certain 
funds from the clean water revolving fund of a State to the drinking 
water revolving fund of the State in certain circumstances, and for 
other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Houlahan). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1689

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. TRANSFER AUTHORITY.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) lead is a toxic chemical that--
       (A) is particularly harmful to young children; and
       (B) can cause reduced intelligence quotients, attention 
     disorders, and other serious health problems;
       (2) excessive and harmful levels of lead have been found in 
     water systems across all 50 States and those water systems 
     serve drinking water to millions of people in the United 
     States;
       (3) hundreds of the water systems described in paragraph 
     (2) are water systems that provide drinking water to schools 
     or day care centers;
       (4) not all States have sufficient funds in the drinking 
     water revolving fund of that State to address the threat to 
     public health from heightened exposure to lead in drinking 
     water; and
       (5) some States have available funds in the clean water 
     revolving fund of that State that could be used to provide 
     additional resources to help address lead in drinking water.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Clean water revolving fund.--The term ``clean water 
     revolving fund'' means a State water pollution control 
     revolving fund established under title VI of the Federal 
     Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.).
       (2) Drinking water revolving fund.--The term ``drinking 
     water revolving fund'' means a State drinking water treatment 
     revolving loan fund established under section 1452 of the 
     Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12).
       (c) Authority.--In addition to the transfer authority in 
     section 302(a) of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 
     1996 (42 U.S.C. 300j-12 note; Public Law 104-182), and 
     notwithstanding section 1452(d) of the Safe Drinking Water 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12(d)), during the 1-year period 
     beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, if a State, 
     in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency, determines that available funds in the 
     clean water revolving fund of the State are necessary to 
     address a threat to public health as a result of heightened 
     exposure to lead in drinking water, the State may transfer an 
     amount equal to not more than 5 percent of the cumulative 
     clean water revolving fund Federal grant dollars to the State 
     to the drinking water revolving fund of the State. Funds 
     transferred pursuant to this subsection shall be used by the 
     State to provide additional subsidy to eligible recipients in 
     the form of forgiveness of principal, negative interest 
     loans, or grants (or any combination of these).

  The bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the third 
time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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